


Bones Over Flowers

by ipsumneue



Category: Deltarune (Video Game), Underswap (Fandom), Undertale (Video Game), Undertale AU (Fandom), Will add as I go.., underfell (fandom)
Genre: Alternate Universe, DarkWorld, F/M, Fluff, Kris is gender neutral, Life in Hometown, Or is it the other way around...?, Please treat Reader kindly, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader is a little tsun, Reader is not Kris, Reader is scared to love!, Reader presented female, Reader works for Gaster, Reader-Insert, Sans is so complicated, Slice-of-life disguised as adventure, Slow Burn, Some angst, but doesn't want to!, maybe a lot of angst, world jumping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-03-17 03:26:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18956923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ipsumneue/pseuds/ipsumneue
Summary: You've lost count of how many times you've been disemboweled, eaten, broken, disintegrated, and tortured by the bizarre iterations of Sanses across the universe but nothing hurts you more than the common thread of unreciprocated feelings. At some point, the tortuous game proved too much and you vowed to never fall for him again. You wavered once but ended up losing him to someone else and the jealousy tipped your battered spirit over the edge. Now you are determined to keep as much of an icy distance as possible.Fully devoted to your “job”, you slip through alternate realities in search of something you aren’t being told about in order to fulfill the contract that keeps you away from home. Where was home anyway? You strain to remember your old life. Before adventure was your only companion. Before listlessness eroded your infallible optimism. Before you’ve known the true horror of Chara.You raise your hand to the ring of light above you pretending you could Reset it all.“Get up, Y/N. It is time to go.”You grin with relief as your body gently fades out of the void.“Took you long enough, jerk.”





	1. Not Today

**Author's Note:**

> My first fanfiction dedicated to all my shy and prickly girls out there. Hang in there!
> 
> I gladly take requests/prompts/pairing suggestions to add to the story. 
> 
> Story starts off slow but I'll do my best to get to the "good" bits. I don't know how interested people will be but if people like it I'll try to update on schedule. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

 

“I want to live, Sans.”

Your bare toes scrape the edge of the icy precipice, the borrowed lab coat thrashing stiffly against your hospital gown.

He draws closer. His pale hands raised towards you as if to placate a wild animal. Words, rendered inaudible, are spirited away by the snowstorm. Words lost even to himself as the screaming in his skull surges white-hot against his senses.

You move closer to the edge.

“But… I'm not going back.”

He stops.

Your face glows hideously above the radiance of your exposed soul. Shades of mottled purple and artificial red pulsating grotesquely in-sync with the beating of your heart.

He wants to call your name but finds himself suddenly unable to remember. The force of the storm is exacerbated by the failing Core. Palpable ripples in time disorients him no matter how hard he tries to recall.

You take another step toward the gorge.

“I'm going to live or die by my own hands, Sans.”

A flash of blue.

You catch a glimpse of him attempting to teleport to you.

You jump.

A scream left unheard lingers on the wind. Your eyes shut tight as your body falls free and heavy into the endless dark. This is the biggest gamble of your entire life and you catch yourself grinning at your uncharacteristic brashness.

“At least…”  
  
You begin to lose consciousness.  
  
“At least I went out kinda cool...”

 

* * *

 

 

 _BZZZT BZZZT  
_ _BZZZT BZZZT_

The cold wood vibrates against your cheek. A groan escapes your cold lips as your eyes creak open to the stillness of an unknown room.  
  
_BZZZT BZZZT_

Sitting up slowly you wince as you feel every vertebrae snap into place. Just a small reminder that you made it through another "night" with all your bones intact.  
  
_BZZZT BZZZT_  
  
"I know, I know. Just give me a minute..."  
  
You reach over to pick up your phone.

_BZZZT BZ-_

Silence.  
  
_Ugh. He’s going to be real mad._ You damn well knew you were in for a lecture. _Ah well. What's done is done._ A flash of blue sears your mind for a split second. I'm in no rush…

You stand up gingerly, giving your body a quick lookover to make sure you still had all your limbs. You pat yourself down in search of cuts and bruises. None as usual. You touch the sides of your face, feeling intently for any gunshot wounds. Considering how reckless you had been running from the Dreemur Famiglia the night before you were almost positive you’d find the bullet that did you in still lodged in your skull. The memory of a suited up Undyne chasing you across town with a magically modified M1928 was actually very funny now that you were far removed from the situation.

Stifling a yawn you look around your new room with half interest. Spartan furnishing and unopened boxes are arranged neatly against the white walls. The floorplan is comfortingly generic like the midtown apartment you lived in back when you were finishing college. _It feels like a lifetime ago_ . You feel moderate relief seeing how your new domicile was both a modern and a human one. You catch a whiff of old magic-induced fire on the kitchen stove. Human-like anyway. Your phone beeps to alert you of a new message. The silence was nice while it lasted.  
  
[ New Voicemail: G-ASS-TER ]

You stick out your tongue in disgust.

"Geez. Are you ever not on schedule, Old Man?"

You grit your teeth in annoyance, pocketing the device for the time being. Finding your balance you step towards the living room window. You make a move to pull the musty drapes apart but slowly come to a stop. Your hands are shaking. _That's weird. Why are they doing that?_ You pull your arms tightly to your chest. _I’m used to this by now. Aren't I?_

This wasn't your first time. Nor second nor third nor hundredth. And yet… Your heart feels unusually heavy.

_Where am I this time? Will it be kinder to me? Will I die pointlessly again? Will this finally be my last assignment? Is my brother in this world? And..._

"Is _he_ here…?"

_BZZZT BZZZT_

You plunge your hand into your pocket to wrap a cold fist around your phone.

"If he's here..."

 _BZZZT BZZZT_  
  
_BZZZT BZ-_

"I'll kill him."

 

* * *

 

"So what do you think they're like?"

"What? Who? The new teacher? Who cares!"

"I care, you jerk!"

"New? I thought Ms.Tori was gonna sub us all year! She's so easy!"

"Why bother changing now? It's just going to mess up the curriculum."

"Huh. Weren't you the one who was so scared that Father Alvin was gonna become our teacher from now on?"

"No! It's just uh… he's just super old and-"

"Ohhh noooo I forgot to sign Ms. Alfie's card!"

The classroom buzzed with an energy that rivaled the morning of a new school year. Except it was the middle of November and also past noon. Ms. Alphys had been mysteriously and abruptly accepted into Monster University's Life Science department as an adjunct professor, leaving a vacancy that the remote town of Hometown was unable to fill.

Until now.

 

* * *

 

 

"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!"

Heels hit the pavement in a crazed machine gun cadence, your shirt half buttoned and half tucked into a sharp, tapered skirt you clearly weren't used to maneuvering in. How that degenerate Gaster knew your size but not your tastes was a loathsome enigma that carried into every dimension he threw you in. How you longed for a pair of pants and a massive pullover right about now.

You ignore the stares of the locals as you speed towards the school, a crude map drawn on the back of an ad for ICE-E'S P"E"ZZA crushed in your hand.

"It would be wise to check my messages in a more timely manner, Y/N."  Gaster hissed into your ear when you finally picked up his call.

You sorely regret blowing him off now that the blood in your feet threatened to burst and the sweat began to blossom across your back.

 

[ World: DR076-01

Occupation: Schoolteacher

Location: Hometown

Objective: Continued anomalous observance

Subject: KRIS

P.S. -  Class begins at 9AM sharp, Y/N. I _highly_ recommend you do not be tardy lest you blow your cover as an already laughably unqualified educator. ]

 

You can almost hear Gaster's whispy laugh cackle around you as you make your way across town. _Give me a break!_ It was always one thing after another with this guy. You banish all fantasies of strangling him from your thoughts. In the end he was still sort of your boss and has made sure you didn’t permanently perish out there in your line of "work". If there was anything you still had left it was your strong sense of commitment. Or was it obligation? _Oh forget it._ Besides, his lack of physical form in his current state would make any asphyxiation related retaliation nigh impossible. _Maybe._

You let your conflicted rage propel you forward past a diner and across the street.

“Huh?”

You stumble over a dip in the pavement as the stretch of buildings before you catch your eye. _That house looks familiar. So does that one. And that one. And...is that... Grillby’s_? A familiar purple cat monster and her reptilian companion meanders past you in an exuberant display of bickering. You slow to a light gait as you slip under the shade of the old bar. You shake the sweat from your eyes as you catch your breath, hand brushing up against the pitted brickstone.

Nostalgia sets your emotions awash as you take in the idyllic scenery before you. A sleepy town plucked right out of a storybook replete with familiar inhabitants making their daily rounds like clockwork dolls. The cooling transitional weather feels pleasant against the heat of your tightly knit brow. You’re remembering something. What is it exactly? _This feels a lot like the Underground…_ Your first Underground. Except it was brighter, above ground, and kind of…

"odd."

“Yeah...odd...”

You repeat to yourself while nodding. _Yes it certainly feels very- Wait, what?_

You freeze. Your breath solidifying into midwinter sludge inside your lungs.

"some-b _oddy_ out to get ya or something, kid? it's way too early to be speeding."

You stay silent, your mind cycling through a dozen different emotions as you attempt to stay composed and cool. _You can do this,Y/N. You've trained for this. You've rehearsed for this. You've even put on makeup for this. You! Got! This!_

You straighten your spine, pull your disheveled hair neatly behind your ear and... run.

Away from the voice. Far from the voice. Running twice as hard, three times as fast, away from the man. The man...no, the monster you brazenly vowed to give a piece of your mind to not an hour ago in your room growing smaller in the sunny distance as your legs reach farther than they ever had before.

Not today, Sans.

 


	2. May I Be Excused?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slowly getting all this introduction content out. Thank you for your patience!
> 
> Reader isn't teacher material but boy is she going to try.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone. I'm Ms.Y/N. Your new temporary teacher."

"Don’t you mean _substitute_ teacher?” A blue bird monster in the front row quipped loudly to the dismay of his peers around him.

You smile, nails digging deeply into the edge of your desk desperately as you try to remain unshaken by your new students. _Get a grip, they're just kids!_

"Yes… you’re right. I am your _sub-sti-tute_ teacher for the time being," you enunciate forcibly through your teeth as you do your best to maintain a rather aggressive smile. “I’ll do my best to keep your education on track while Ms. Alphys is away. Thank you... for cooperating with me."

Some of the kids nodded with empathy while others remained preoccupied with whispering amongst themselves.

_Tough crowd. Oh nooo, I’m not cut out for this teacher stuff. Better give them what they want and fast._

You clear your throat and follow up with more energy.

"Right! So! Since I kept you all waiting for so long today… how about I send you home early with no homework... _if_ you do a little writing assignment for me right now. How’s that sound?"

A raucous cheer erupted from everyone but the lone human child in the back. You immediately identify them as Kris, your assigned observation subject. They sat there quietly throughout your whole awkward introduction and remained fixated on the door.

You stand up to distribute some paper to each student with a short essay prompt instructing them to write a personal introduction. This way you'll have a basic profile of your kids and can quickly glean some information about this town and its inhabitants. _Lazy? No way. Just working smarter not harder!_ Your feet still throbbed from earlier that day so the less footwork you had to do the better.

You eventually make your way to the back of the row to where Kris was seated. They didn’t appear to have noticed you approaching judging by the way they jumped a little when you placed the paper on their desk. You give them a little, reassuring smile as their eyes lingered briefly on yours before returning their attention on the exit, entirely uninterested in the assignment presented.  
  
You couldn’t help but feel a little dejected at their indifference as you return to your desk. You didn’t particularly like or dislike kids. You never had a lot of exposure to them in your life before working for Gaster. Your own younger brother lost all trace of his childlike wonder several years ago as he traversed his teenage years in apathy. The last you saw him he was still the same sullen young adult he always seemed to have been. Kris reminded you of him.

The door abruptly crashes open, pulling you away from your thoughts.

A purple monster with wild hair strides in, hands in her jean pockets and a grimace tugging at her lips. The class collectively averts their gaze and stops chatting as if to avoid her impending ire. You remain seated as you scour the class roster.

"Susie." You read out loud.

Susie jerks her head in your direction with eyes narrowed.

"Huh. What do _YOU_ want?"

"Nah, nothing like that, Susie. Just crossing you off the attendance list."

She glares at you in silence as if you were about to follow up with a request to sit down or turn in homework.

You remain quiet and meet her gaze curiously, admittedly a little impressed. You knew this type of kid. She was the bully. The Big Bad on campus that didn’t play by the rules. The kind of girl you remember being once upon a time.

"Hey Susie, would you be willing to help me out?" You offer her a worksheet as if to indirectly shake her hand. "I’m your new teacher, Ms. Y/N. I’d like to get to know you better if possible."

Her nostrils flare as she hesitates momentarily before turning towards the door, paper untouched. She promptly stomps back out shouting behind her.

"Kris, let's go."

Your eyes move lazily to the hunched figure in the corner. Kris gets up silently and follows Susie out into the hallway like it was routine. Their own paper left completely untouched on top of their desk.

 

* * *

 

Toriel greets you in the teacher's lounge after school. Being both the principal and the teacher of the youngest set of students at School she commanded a great deal of poise and maternal nobility. Even without her crown Toriel was still as graceful as ever. The goat monster towers a good two feet over your average human height as she listens attentively to you talk about your first day over cold coffee.

"First days are never easy. I am glad you are taking it with such admirable stride, Ms. Y/N."

"Monster kids aren’t any different from human ones. At this point I definitely have more experience with the former."

You laugh through the discomfort of having to lie to Toriel. This acting stuff never got easier. Especially when you’re telling the thousandth iteration of your “mother” a false history… in order to observe her own child nonetheless.  
  
Almost as if sensing your trepidation Toriel suddenly appears hesitant herself as she fiddles with her comically small “#1 MOM” mug in her hands.

"I have been meaning to ask you, Ms. Y/N. How...how has my child behaved today? They did not attempt to play any pranks on you, I hope?"

No pranks. Just...a little brazen truancy.  
  
“None at all, Ms.Toriel.”  
  
Visible relief spreads on her face as if to respond to your own reassuring grin, kindly unaware of the raging conflict beneath it.

* * *

 

It wasn't that he hated humans. If it weren't for Subject 0, he wouldn’t have even believed they existed at all. Sans peers through the one-sided window with learned ambivalence. She was just boring.

As a test subject she reacted very little and as a sentient organism she seldom showed the signs of one. Sans leans against the glass wishing he hadn’t left his cigarettes in his other labcoat.

Subject 0: The only living human in the Underground. Known to only Sans and his academic entourage.

Sans didn’t come to learn of her existence until months after her arrival while Gaster was still alive. Gaster had approached him to join him in his research into human-monster transmigration, a taboo topic that the royal family explicitly forbade. He had initially refused. The idea of prodding living beings for curiosity's sake didn’t appeal to him. Even less so the idea that monsters could inhabit human bodies as vessels. So what changed?  
  
_CRASH_  
  
Subject 0 was awake. The tray of medical instruments was scattered beneath the foot of the bed. She was screaming. Her eyes redder than the ominous glow seeping through her chest. The medication wore off precisely 30 minutes too early.  
  
Sans sighs and opens his phone.  
  
She was getting better at this.

 

 


	3. So We Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally come face-to-face with Sans. And your neuroses. And your fear of two troublemaking children? Do your best, Reader!

“Uhhhhhrrggghh…”  
  
You’re on the floor again.

The morning sun serenely filters through the room warming the cold sweat off your sprawling body. You roll over onto your back as the remnants of last night’s terror trickles into your consciousness. _It’s that dream again. Or was it a memory?_ Gaster had warned you before that _a little_ memory loss of “no real consequence” was a plausible side effect from all the world jumping. Sure enough some details from your past was hazy but you didn’t particularly mind. Problem was your soul seemed to never let you completely forget. 

You yawn. _Ah whatever_ . _I'll deal with it later._ Right now you're awake, the sun is up, and more importantly, it’s Saturday! You survived your first week in Hometown and more impressively your first week as a teacher. _I’m gonna take it easy today..._ You flip onto your stomach and onto a patent leather stiletto.

“Oww!”  
  
Your room was a war zone. The result of your last tantrum filled screaming match with Gaster when you told him his taste in clothes was an absolute affront to humanity. You grab the shoe and throw it into a pile with the other rejects. _Awh man. I should really get my shit together today._ You roll angrily onto your back and bump into your desk.

A loose sheaf of paper flutters onto your face. You glance up at the stack of schoolwork and sigh. _Oh right. Teacher stuff._ The workload was a bummer and the hazing your kids have been wringing you through was a nightmare. But at least you weren’t living in the woods surviving off berries and adrenaline while running from an axe-wielding Murder Skeleton again. Phantom pain seizes your left arm briefly at the recollection. _Oof owww. Enough of that!_ You force yourself upright. _Time to do a little exploring instead!_ The rest of the precariously balanced stack of essays tip onto your head.  
  


* * *

 

You usually take your coffee black but the lagomorphic proprietress of the town diner _insisted_ you try her experimental “Cattpuccino” instead. One of your students-turned-waitress, Catti, brought you the heaping cat-shaped monstrosity begrudgingly to your table and left muttering something that sounded like half greeting and half groan. You press the milk foam into your basin-like “cup” with a spoon. A sad and deflated “meow” is drowned out, quite literally, by the sloshing of hazel cream.

You look out the window, leaning your head against your palm. Your initial walk around town revealed expectantly little. The lull of the sleepy and saccharine town was beginning to make you anxious. The faster you leave this place the better. A pair of green and purple figures whip past your vision.

“Hmm?” _Oh, it’s just those two._

You watch two familiar figures jogging somewhere down the street looking furtively around as they went. _Suspicious!_ You crane your head to get a better look.

  
Kris was definitely a strange one. It wasn’t hard to see why Gaster was so intent on you observing the kid's every move. While not blatantly avoidant, Kris didn't seek out interaction with the other kids. They appeared content to be left alone but didn't shirk attention whenever the rare instance was presented. Susie, an oft belligerent monster, stomped, kicked, and bit her way to the top of the anti-social ladder only to split the crown in two to accommodate her partner-in-crime. They frequently disappeared together at odd hours of the day, including class time, to who knows where doing who knows what. As you weren't a real teacher you didn’t feel compelled to press the dastardly duo for answers. You glance at the misshapen coffee experiment bubbling profusely on its own. Today was a new day. 

 

* * *

 

 

You look out from behind a tree, back pressed against the trunk in dramatic fashion. Despite being only one of two humans in the entire town you were very good at not drawing attention. A mother snowbird monster and her fledgling child stares right at you disapprovingly from a park bench.

_Uhh well...good most of the time anyway._

You had followed Kris and Susie to the southern edge of town where the school was located. The two of them slowed down considerably, perhaps eased by the emptiness of the area on a weekend afternoon. _What are they doing at school of all places?_ All week long the two of them wanted to be anywhere but and yet here we are.

You observe the two behind some landscaping while pulling out all the thorns you incurred during your stealth crawl through some flower bushes. Flowers were nothing but trouble. Kris rummages through their bag and lifts a gaudy ball of keys with several beaded keychains spelling out “MOM” and “WOW”  suspended from it. _Stealing from your mom, Kris? Nice._ Kris easily singles out the key to the school and unlocks the entrance. The two delinquents rush in.

You pause for a minute with your ear to the door, listening to the sound of sneakers on linoleum fading rapidly away. The pair were already at the end of the hallway by the time you discreetly stick your head inside. A door creaks open and slams within the same breath. _Now I’ve got em!_ You cross the atrium and down the hall briskly. _Hmm. There are only so many doors in the back. Which one did they enter?_ You muse as you begin tugging on the doors in order from the left side of the back wall. One more door remains. _That’s gotta be it. Change of plans. Better hide and wait for them to come out so I can spook them later._ You slip yourself into an empty locker laughing quietly at your scheme. If you remember correctly, that room was a junk room of sorts. An unused classroom now relegated to rainy day activity storage. You check the time. _2:00pm exactly._

 

* * *

 

 

You wake abruptly from the sound of a door slamming. You pull out your phone. _What?! It’s 5:00pm already?_ Curse your ability to sleep anywhere at anytime!

You peek through the slits. That sound definitely belonged to a much heavier door closing shut. You bite your lip. You were probably locked in. School doors rarely opened from the inside without the proper key to prevent kids from skipping out. With a labored creak the locker door opens as you step out shakily. You stretch your cramped limbs as you begin to mull over your predicament. _The windows are probably okay. Monsters didnt seem to really worry that much about security here. I'll just have to- Huh?_

The storage room door was ajar.

_What? Those two still cant be here can they? I could have sworn this room was closed._

You whisper to yourself as you become painfully aware of the pounding silence of the empty school. The autumn sun was beginning to set bringing the threat of night with it. The sound of birds outside was all but gone and your quickening heartbeat drummed feverishly in your ears. _That's it, I'm going in._ You march towards the storage room and fling open the door.

"HEY, YOU TWO! I know you're still he-?"

_Dark. Super dark. Why is it so dark?_

Your body moves automatically into the room. It was extremely dark and extremely unsettling. Your eyes squint desperately as you try to acclimate to your surroundings. You think about moving along the walls to look for a light switch but your legs don’t seem to want to reverse course. Cold sweat trickles down your back as you continue forward into the void, pulled by some unknown force.

 _What even is this place? Maybe..._ You look down fruitlessly to feel for a moving conveyor belt or treadmill under your feet. _That's not it. What am I doing? Where is the back of this room?_ You reach for your phone to use as a light when suddenly your forced march is interrupted by a hole in the ground. No. Not in the ground. It's more like a hole in the air. You're falling. _Falling? How is this possible?_ Your body is flung downwards. _Falling, huh?_ This feels familiar. The gloom begins to overtake your thoughts as your consciousness fades alongside your body.

“I should've stayed home today.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Flowers? Again!_

You're looking up at the sunset from on top of the wilting bushes outside the school. _What! The! Hell!_ Thorns cling tightly to your back as your mind reels from what just occurred. _What was that? Teleportation magic? Some kind of portal? Is this where Kris and Susie ended up too?_

You roll off the hedges and brush yourself off. _Or...was this their doing?_ You didn’t take the two to be advanced magic users but maybe you’ve underestimated them. Severely. Weird occurrences like this was routine for the life you lived but you never truly got used to it. This experience in particular was something entirely different. You felt it in your bones. You send off a brief report to Gaster by text hoping for some insight. _Speaking of weird, Gaster hasn’t said a thing today._

You make your way down the street towards your apartment. _I'm definitely going to go back there. Later, though._ You rub the back of your sore neck. You wish Monday were further away.

 

* * *

 

You were bathed in the last orange throes of the sunset’s finale by the time you reached your street. You just needed to get to the end of the plaza avenue and make a quick turn to get to your building where a nice shower awaited you.

You step lively forward thinking about what you should make for din-

 _It’s him. HIM! No way!_   
  
Sans was standing leisurely by the Grillby’s look-a-like conversing with an apron clad monster. His back was turned towards the street and more importantly away from you. You sweat bullets as your trajectory falters. You turn around. _I’ll just take a detour home. I’m not dealing with this right n-_   
  
Green and purple. Kris and Susie.   
  
The two of them were walking in your direction. Susie seemed agitated, shouting at Kris who was nodding along.

  
You turn back around quickly, cursing your incredulous luck. Heading that way could yield potentially disastrous results if they decided to out your presence to Sans. The only way out of this is to get past him undetected. And fast.   
  
You square your shoulders and push forward.

“Keep your head down,” you frantically mouth to yourself. _Keep your head down and walk fast. Don't let that bastard smell your fear._ You look up briefly to make sure Sans was still deep in conversation.

The chances of him carrying any trace of your memory was infinitesimally small if not outright impossible. Every Sans you've come across showed no sign of knowing who you were or what the other worlds were like and yet you felt only bad omens in the pit of your stomach.

You are now painfully aware of the tension in your muscles as you swing your arms rigidly, each step you take resounding in a deafening thunderclap within your ears.

_If I can just reach the corner…_

You are passing him now, eyes not daring to escape the confines of your mental blinders, your peripheral vision blackened by sheer terror, despair, and sweat.

_Don't look. Don't you dare look at me. Don't look don't look don't look don't lo-_

Your crazed internal mantra drowns out anything your ears could have extracted from his baritone droning.  Just a few more yards before you can reach the end of the street and make a run for it.

His voice grows fainter. Your steps become wider, faster, more conspicuous and bold.

_I'm gonna make it!_

The end was in sight. You stop digging your nails into the palm of your hand long enough to push hair away from your face. A cool breeze grazes you as it fills you with determination. You savor it for a second before you lunge forward to make the final leg home.

 _Wait._ That breeze.

_I’m out of time. It's all over._

You run.

"hey."

You _RUN_.

There's nothing stopping you now.

A blue blur.

"Ah-"

A slip of the ankle.

There was nothing you could do to stop yourself in time. Lacking the poetic grace of a falling star being engulfed by the sea’s glass surface you barrel inelegantly into-

"whoa got ya."

The last person you wanted to ever see. Again.

"Ah. Oh…"

You dangle unceremoniously against his ribcage, half floating, half draped across his chest with your face pressed deeply into his collarbones. You go cold. Clenching your teeth is all you could do to stifle a bloodcurdling scream. A bony hand wraps firmly around your shoulders, your jaw situation relieving the impulse to bite it. You feel his chest rise and fall gently as if he possessed the proper anatomy to do so. His body, soft as it were, was tense and solid. He's so warm.

You firmly plant your feet and rip yourself from the offending body quickly. Heat radiates from your brick red face as you scramble for any shred of composure left rattling inside you. You press your palms into your cheeks as if to hide your embarrassment.

"O-oh ah sorry… Um...I..."

"hey, not a problem. can't say anyone's fallen for me that hard before."

You smile stiffly, baring your teeth in what you believe is an amused expression, your tightly wound fist saying otherwise.

"Ha… right. I'm sorry about that. I really need to be going so…"

You try to act calm but your body language reveals otherwise. You take a step back, foot pointed unconsciously away from him.

He stands there unperturbed, hands now returned to his pockets. Pinprick eyes watch you intently as he shrugs. The permanent smirk plastered to his face widens a little.

"hey, suit yourself. at least one of us has someplace to be," he pulls out your phone from his pocket. "but you should probably be taking this with you, kid."

"My phone! When did I-"

"back there." He jabs a thumb at the corner you just ran from.

"you looked real intense. fell right out of your hands."

You cautiously accept. "Hey, uh thanks for that. I… I guess I wasn’t paying attention. I appreciate it, Sa-"

You bite your tongue. Hard.

"Saaaaa-eerrr. Sir! I appreciate it, Sir!"

 _You blew it. Wait, did you blow it? That was totally convincing! You're a genius! Right?_ If Sans noticed your blunder he made no sign of showing it.

"sir, huh? that’s weird. why don’t you just call me sans. sans the skeleton."

"R-right and I'm Y/N. Thank you... _Sans_. Um, I really need to be going, though. I'll catch you around so I guess I'll see you uh...Bye!"

Sans watches you skitter away without waiting for a response. His fixed grin seeming melancholic under the flickering of the streetlights. He closes his eyes momentarily before vanishing into the dusk.

"so we meet again."

 


	4. Reds vs Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter update. The long weekend gave me a lot of free time to get the fic rolling so I'll try to get back to posting in more substantial chunks.
> 
> Reunions aren't always a good thing. Things are getting real weird for you, Reader. As always, please do your best!

CLICK _CLICK_

You lock up behind you. You lean against the door and let yourself slide down onto the floor. You cover your flushed face with your hands, heat still emanating from the blighted encounter. You dared not turn on the lights in shame. _I did it again! Really! Why can’t I just act normal!_ You sigh loudly. _At least…_ You find yourself consoling yourself. _At least that’s all over and done with._  
  
“What a _fiasco_.”

Your stomach drops into the floor and crumbles into the Earth’s molten core. _Oh my God. It’s him._ Today was just not your day.

The lights flicker on by force, making you feel exposed and defenseless. You bolt up staring daggers at the unwelcome apparition scintillating impetuously on your couch.

“An absolute disaster,” you spit out in agreement.  
  
It was an exceedingly rare occurrence that Gaster projected physically for you. As far as you knew, it took most of his energy to keep your existence stabilized throughout the timelines. Even when he did materialize, he couldn’t manage more than to manipulate energy particles to appear as a mass of pompous static. Him being here fully visible, white face stricken with contempt and disgust,  either meant he was insurmountably bored or something very, very bad had happened. You pray for the former.  
  
Gaster sniffs loudly, making an exaggerated gesture towards your chaotic living space with his long, tapered fingers.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. Where are your pets? I did not realize you had adopted _swine_ .” 

“Very funny, Gaster. I’ve been busy.” You cross your arms and remain glowering by the door. “Why are you here?”  
  
“My phone is missing.”  
  
You blink. “Excuse me?” You were absolutely stunned. _His phone?_  
  
“My phone,” he repeated. 

“Did you check under the couch? In your other work pants, perhaps?”  
  
He shoots you an acrid glare. You wipe the smile off your face immediately. You were confused. The “phones” the two of you communicated with was a magically modified invention that acted as an interdimensional tracking device and also as a glorified walkie-talkie. You couldn’t imagine that a being that had the capability to invent one in the first place couldn’t just make another. Something else was going on and it was making him nervous. Making _you_ nervous.  
  
“You’re serious. Can’t you just make a new one?”

“Of course I can. But that is _not_ the point," he snapped. “I have well founded suspicion that it was taken from me. I do not suffer fools, nor thieves, lightly.”  
  
You begin to catch on. If the device really was intercepted, someone or _something_ was reading your reports. You have a horrifying hunch as to who.  
  
“You think...You think _Chara_ is back?”  
  
“Ahh. I see there _is_ a functioning brain in that skull of yours after all,” a satisfied sneer stretches along his sinister features. “I do not enjoy divulging information without sufficient evidence to back my claim so that is all you will get from me for the time being.” You open your mouth to protest.

“Then how do you want me to-”

He teleports over to where you were glued to the doorway.  A slender, glitch riddled finger presses forcibly into your lips. You practically pout as you follow his eyes. _They could be listening._  
  
“Utilize that newly discovered brain of yours and find another way to keep record. My research is meaningless if they are seeking to dismantle it.”  
  
You nod nervously. He detaches his hand and brings his digits together.

“I will not be able to observe you for a short while but remain patient,” his body begins to filter out into the ether.  “Strange things are about to happen. I highly suggest you take better care of yourself.”  
  
Was that concern in his voice? Was it...fear? You take a step towards his disintegrating form.

“Watch yourself, Y/N, for _they_ will be watching _you_ .”  
  
You are now alone.

 

* * *

  


You were not alone.

You stirred heavily from your drug induced sleep. Your body ached at every joint as if you've been forcibly pulled apart and stitched back together like a terrible living amalgamation. You tried to push your body up but you stumbled back onto your stomach. It hurt too much.

"i wouldn't do that if i were you."

You recognized that voice. He was the one they called Sans.

You ignored him and tried to get up a second time. You hated letting these monsters see you like this. You felt like your stitches were about to burst as you managed to get up on your knees.

Sans sighed. Blue light enveloped you whole as you're forcibly pushed back down onto the bed.

You flipped your head to the side to glare into his cold sockets.

"you really should learn to take advice, kid."

Your head throbbed more intensely. You shut your eyes and attempted to stem the nausea from overtaking you. You were desperate to stay calm and lucid but they were getting harder and harder to control.

Sans approached, looking you over coolly.

"did you do it?" His whisper was barely audible but filled with venom just the same.

You stiffened up. The hairs on the back of your neck rose with murderous intent. You swallowed hard trying to stem the bloodlust from overtaking you.

"did you kill him?"

Your mind unfurled completely as you gave in to the animal gnawing at the base of your soul.  
  
“No.”  
  
Sans’s face contorted with disgust as your eyes hardened into a crystalline ruby glaze. Your voice, not your own, purrs derisively in a sing-song timbre.

  
“He killed _us_.”

 

* * *

  


“Ms. Y/N? Ms. Y/N!”  
  
“Huh? Wha?”  
  
One of your students, Noelle, was tugging at your sleeve, her reindeer brows knit with concern.  
  
“Are you okay, Ms. Y/N?”  
  
You were zoning out. Hard. Following this past weekend’s events you had little opportunity for restful sleep. Losing your lifeline, albeit temporarily, was harrowing enough without Chara being potentially back to kick your shit in. _Ah, the joys of Mondays._  
  
“I’m really sorry, Noelle. I was just thinking about something. Did you need anything?” You were relegated as that week’s P.E. coach and were supposed to be making sure the students weren’t killing one another with dodgeballs. Noelle smiles anxiously.  
  
“Oh no. Nothing’s wrong. But our new classmate just got here and he’s uh…” she trails off just as a cannonball narrowly misses her antlers.

 _Cannonball? Wait. That’s just a dodgeball. Has it always been blue…?_ You narrow your eyes and look down the gym. _Wait. New student?_

“HAHAHA! MISFORTUNE COMES TO THOSE WHO DARE CHALLENGE ME! THE OUTSTANDING AND MOST IMPRESSIVE SANS!”

No. It can’t be.  
  
Color drains from your body and soul. _I need to leave. I’ve made a terrible mistake coming here. I need…_

Sans, with little blue stars in his eyes, points at you imperiously.  
  
“YOU! HUMAN! YOU ARE VERY BRAVE TO BE THE LAST ONE STANDING,” he steps over your kids groaning on the floor.  
  
“BUT YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT ME!”  
  
Loose dodgeballs float around you as the little Sans prepares to pelt you dead.  
  
... _I need help._  


  
  
  


  
  


  
  
  



	5. Baby Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fight? Flight? Why not relax with a game of dodgeball, Reader?

You remember this Sans. He was from the dimension where all the monsters you knew were somehow switched with one another. You called him “Blue” back then. You had pegged him as a harmless Papyrus archetype in San’s body at first but you quickly learned he had the potential to be even stronger than the original when his emotions took him. He may look like an overgrown toddler but…

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

You lift up Noelle, who was very much a reindeer-in-headlights, and dive behind an overturned ball cart as you manage to dodge the first volley. _This is bad_. Blue wasn’t an aggressive monster but he often let his love of competition go too far.

“THAT’S CHEATING!” he stamps his boots indignantly. “I DEMAND YOU COME OUT FROM UNDER THERE AND FACE ME FAIRLY, HUMAN. OR ELSE!”

“Ms. Y/N? We should probably get Ms.Tori. He doesn’t look like he’s going to stop,” Noelle had her ears pressed against her head as she peeked out to gape at her new classmate. You open your mouth to agree but something deep in the recesses of your mind snaps.

“Run, Noelle. I got this.”

Noelle gives you an unconvincing stare.

“I’M GOING TO COUNT TO THREE, HUMAN”

“Ms.Y/N, It's not that I don't trust your ability to stop him or anything….but-”  
  
“ONE.”

_I’m sick of this. My kids don’t believe in me, Gaster’s gone, I completely blew it with Sans, I haven’t slept in days, and you…!_

A red flash of light seizes your vision.

“TWO.”

You grab a free ball besides you. Noelle, sensing your next action, bolts for the safety of the bleachers where the rest of your class hid. You lower your upper body, legs folded in a tightly wound crouch. Your elbows press into your chest, the ball firmly planted in your hands.

_And YOU…!_

“THREE!”

The cart goes up in blue flames the second you launch out from behind, narrowly missing his Blasters as you push off the floor. Blue fires off a second round of dodgeballs in your direction, arcing in unison as it follows you like seeker missiles. Your mind burns with white-hot clarity as you expertly avert the barrage by tucking your ball under your arm and kicking up a broken ceiling panel from the first attack. The force of Blue’s magic possessed armaments rams into your shield, pushing you a considerable distance back. A straggler barely misses your flank, singing the fabric as it went. You’re still standing. Blue, frustrated by your resilience, bombards you with a third volley and a fourth and then a fifth. Sweating with exhaustion and rage he winds up for another round, one much bigger than his previous attempts. Your back was against the gym wall a substantial distance away from him. Undaunted by your inverted progress you torpedo forwards, locking eyes with Blue.

You make your way towards the midline but are still too far to get an accurate aim at his head. Good thing that wasn’t your plan from the start.

You only had one chance to make the feint and it had to be now while he was exhausted. You wind your arm back and use the force of your body’s lunge to make your first and last throw. The ball shoots forward at an admirable speed but nothing like the steroid charged bullets Blue was capable of making. A smug look overtakes his face as he jumps forward to kick your strike away.

“NOT GOOD ENOUGH!”

This was it!

You had weaved your way back towards the middle divider in the few seconds he was distracted. You jump onto the burnt frame of the cart from earlier, using it as a launching pad to leap forward. Arms stretched out you tackle Blue down to the floor.

“N-NO! THAT’S NOT HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME, HUMAN!”

You barely manage to squeeze out a response as you struggle to breathe.

“Y-you…”

Blue squeezes his eyes shut in anticipation of your finishing blow. You grab a ball rolling by and gently tap it to the side of his head.

“You...are late, Mister.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

You cross your arms as you lean against the wall outside the nurse’s office. The look on Toriel’s face was of sheer terror the moment she entered the school gym, a sleepy Kris in her tow. Circular welts were pounded into the walls, lights had been shattered, the hardwood floor was scuffed to hell and back, and your wide-eyed students were huddled tightly together near some melted benches. By then you had Blue by the scruff of his scarf as he pouted despondently trying not to cry. You managed to convince Toriel that the game had merely suffered from an excess of spirited enthusiasm. She just nodded absentmindedly and asked you to take the kids to the infirmary for a quick lookover while she busied herself smoothing the walls with some kind of repair magic. You were probably going to be banned from being acting P.E. teacher again. You hoped anyway.

The door opens with a quiet creak as Blue walks out looking more cheerful than he had a few minutes ago. Now here was a problem you hadn’t anticipated. Is this Blue native to this dimension? You never experienced having more than one Sans per world. You decide to approach this with caution.

“How’d it go?”

Blue points to a shiny star sticker on his shirt.

“BEHOLD! THE DEFINITIVE PROOF OF MY PERFECT HEALTH.”

You tilt your head to the side as you get a better look at him. Sure he looks kind of like a kid but you were 99% sure he was a _taaad_ too old to be in your class.

“W-WHAT IS IT, HUMAN?”

“That’ll be ‘Ms. Human’ from now on. I’m your teacher, remember? By the way, what was your name again?”

Blue fidgets with the hem of his shirt as if he was deciding whether or not to tell you. You wonder if he forgot shouting it for all to hear in the gym earlier that morning.

“O-OH RIGHT. MY NAME. I AM THE MAGNIFICENT SANS!”

“Alright, Sans. We better get back to class. We are very behind today.”

  
_‘Sans’ sure was a common name around these parts, huh._

 

 

* * *

 

 

Gaster didn’t believe in a conscience. He did things to sate his curiosity and his curiosity alone. Reporting to the Royal Family was merely a formality that had been the bane of his existence since the start of his tenure as the Underground’s Head of Royal Sciences. He despised nothing more than being preached by Asgore who extolled the importance of ethics in scholarly pursuits.

 _Ethics?_ He peered down at the open coffin that contained the freshly deceased body of Chara, the once human child of Queen Toriel and King Asgore. A tinge of disgust laced his lips. Why did he feel so sick to his stomach?

“Your Majesty. What you are asking of me is-”

“Please, Gaster. I know what you’ve been doing behind my back. I willfully ignored it because I trusted you. Please. Asriel...Asriel, my son, is gone. They are all I have. All _we_ have.”

Asgore’s hulking mass appeared painfully small in his grief. The queen had locked herself in her chamber and refused to see anyone. Asriel, the crown prince, had vanished into dust as is the fate that awaited all dead monsters. Chara’s physical body was all that remained. All trace of their soul long gone.

Gaster rubbed his temples. He had been waiting for a chance to implement this procedure for years. Why was he suddenly hesitating? A bead of sweat glides unwilled down his frigid features.

“We still lack the crucial component. Without it we are acutely unprepared for any kind of transmigratory procedure.”

“Yes you do, Gaster. You do have it.”

“Your Majesty, I do not believe you thoroughly understand what you are suggesting.”

Asgore stood up abruptly, knocking over several test tubes onto the lab floor. His large hands grabbed Gaster by the collar of his coat. Gaster made no move to stop him. There was no trace of malice in Asgore’s tired eyes. Only anguish.

“I know about her, Gaster. I’ve known for a long time.”

Gaster gritted his teeth. He knew he couldn’t keep her a secret forever but deep down he had hoped otherwise. On the fateful day Chara fell into the Underground a second child was found besides them amongst the golden flowers.

  
“Y/N.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

It was dark by the time you headed home for the day. You had offered to help Toriel with cleaning up the gym from that morning’s game with whatever manual labor you could provide. Most of the structure had been mended by the time you got out the mop so thankfully all you had to do was spend the next three hours making sure the entire facility shone like brand _brand_ new. _God, my back hurts._

You take a detour through the park savoring a rare silence as you reflect on the mystery of your second Sans. Despite his initial introduction the kids warmed up to Blue quickly. Even Kris, who missed the ordeal entirely, didn’t appear to mind Blue chattering their ear off during recess. Blue had everyone charmed out of their minds. You had briefly considered following him home but decided against it. Whatever force that was determined to keep you away from normalcy was destined to find you first, whether you wanted it or not.

You exhale loudly. There it is again. That same uneasiness that permeated you all day long was back. An uneasiness that you knew was about to be validated soon. You kick up a rock and punt it into the bushes. Silence. You stand rigidly, listening intently with your fists curled in your jacket pockets. _Huh. Guess I was wrong._ Maybe you were just tired. You shrug and head up the clearing back towards the main street. The smell of cigarettes in the air disperses into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep forgetting to plug my art blog around here so without further ado:
> 
> https://tinyurl.com/y5agahd2


	6. Orange You Glad To See Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New faces, new old faces, old new faces, faces, faces, faces...
> 
> Look at all these friends you're making and remaking, Reader. Go get em!

“Hmm.”   
  
You peer into the fridge. Absolutely empty. The past few weeks you were lucky enough to subsist off the generosity of your neighbors who were more than thrilled to have a human living next door. It was really nice for a change. Whenever you got tired of baked monster goods you’d just head to the town diner to grab dinner and watch the locals. Fortunately you were employed in this world so you didn’t need Gaster to come bail you out. 

You pull a striped sweater over your bedhead and grab your purse by the door.  _ It’s about time I get some groceries like a normal person.  _ You fish for your keys to lock up on your way down from the apartment.  _ Huh? When did that happen?  _ Several deep gouges ran down a considerable length from the lock to the bottom of the door frame.  _ Scratches? Was it always like that?  _ You recall the litter of monster kittens who live on your floor.  _ The landlord is going to love that. Very cool.  _ You sigh and walk down the stairs outside to a beautiful fall morning.    
  
_ Oh, come to think of it, where is the grocers anyway? _ You are suddenly aware of the lack of monsters walking about with grocery bags during your stay at Hometown. Was it because monsters just didn’t need a lot of food? You still weren't completely sure on how magical beings functioned biologically. Luckily you spot a tall monster walking past you.  _ I’ll just ask that guy. _ __   
__   
“Excuse me! Sorry to bother you but I’m new in town and w-”   


He tilts his head nonchalantly in your direction, a cigarette blazing between his lips. Or rather, between his teeth.

_ Ah. _ __   
__   
“you talking to me, little miss?”   
  
__ No. I absolutely am not.

“Ohh, I’m sorry. I...I actually thought you were someone else. I’m sorry about that. I’ll just be uh on my wa-”   
  
Papyrus was in front of you in a blink.   
  
“that’s weird, miss. pretty sure you just said you were new in town. i’m new as well.”   
  
_ Like HELL you are! _

“Is that so? What a coincidence…”   
  
He bends down to peer at your face.  _ Ugh he’s too close. _ You pull back a little as his hooded eyes probe yours.  _ Uncomfortable!  _   
  
“the name’s papyrus. you’re ms. y/n right? my brother’s teacher.”   
  
Papyrus. You had called this one ‘Stretch’. He was Blue’s brother back from his world and also his original’s reverse. You felt his presence in your bones the moment Blue appeared. These brothers always came in pairs. Stretch was Sans’s equal in lackadaisical demeanor and unfortunately also in intelligence. His major flaw was that he liked to flaunt his heightened perceptiveness by teasing and being slightly creepy. No, that wasn’t completely right. You glance at the bedroom eyes he was making at you. Maybe the word you’re looking for is _ sleazy _ . Your eyes migrate to his lit cigarette and slowly back.  _ This guy... _   
  
“sorry about that. nasty habit you see,” he moves to remove the smoke.   
  
Your arm shoots forward and grabs his wrist through his orange sleeve. He stiffens up instantly. His expression now hard and cold, the opposite of his laid-back attitude from a second ago.

“Why are you here?”   
  
“hmm. i’m certain  _ you _ were the one who called me, no?”   
  
You lift your chin closer to his face, leaving barely an inch between your noses.    
  
“True. Don't remember calling for you back at the park last night though.”   
  
Stretch grins coyly at your accusation. He presses his body closer into yours.   
  
“can’t a guy go for a walk in the park after dark? or is this some kind of proposition?”   
  
You were at your limit. You had wracked your memory to recall the best way to approach Stretch from your time with him and you just couldn’t go through with this. Your ears were bloody red and your voice quivered a little too much for your liking. Better end it fast.    
  
You let go of his wrist and pluck the cigarette out of his mouth.   
  
“Guess I was just mistaken,” you place it back between your own lips. “Sorry about that,  _ Papyrus _ .” 

He stood there dumbfounded by what you had done. You held the smoke in your mouth trying your best to not inhale.   
  
“well, if you’re gonna be like tha-”   
  
“HEY! YOU! CRIMINAL!”   
  
_ Criminal? Oh thank goodness. Someone is finally here to arrest Stretch. _ You turn your head with relief towards the sound of someone blowing their whistle.    
  
You take a smug glance next to you.  _ He’s gone?! Wait! Then who’s the- _ __   
__   
Undyne was on you like cat on a rat in the throes of death.   
  
“Smoking in a no-smoking zone?! I caught you red-handed, criminal scum! GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”   
  
You decide to inhale Stretch’s cigarette after all.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"Um, Officer Undyne, don't you think you should let me off with a warning this time?"

"Hell no! Do you realize how rare this is for me? No one ever gets busted in this dump!"

Undyne has you pinned against the wall while she was fiddling with her handcuffs. She clearly didn't have much experience using them. You blow a strand of hair away from your face.  _ I really should get out of this before a student sees me being arrested. _

"Actually, Officer… I've only been here for a couple weeks and I've seen a lot of crime."

"Ha! You can't fool me. I've been doin' this shtick for years. Sometimes I have to make crime just so I can catch it!"

That's Undyne for you. You smile a little, thankful for at least one constant in your shifting life. 

"Ueegh quit smiling, freak," she jabs your back. "You better not be enjoying this."   
  


_ Hmm. If I can distract Undyne with bigger fish maybe she'll back off… _

"Oookay, Officer. You got me. I broke the rules and I'm fully prepared to face the consequences." 

Undyne perks up like a puppy being shown a new chew toy. "You will?! Well, of course you will! You are a criminal after all!”

"But it's a shame you'll miss out though."

"Miss out? On what?" 

"Oh it's nothing. Just some students of mine is all. It's hard being an educator when the kids only want to ditch school and break into locked buildings…"

You peek innocently at Undyne who begins to sweat in anticipation. She was absolutely desperate for action. Begging for the thrill of the hunt.

"You...you're not trying to bribe your way out are ya? Cause I ain't fallin' for it!"

"Why, no, Officer," you flash the whites of your teeth looking all the more like a seedy miscreant. "Wouldn't think of it."

Undyne looks conflicted. Beads of sweat shone unapologetically beneath a scaly, furrowed brow. The unclasped handcuffs were slack in her hands.

"If you take me in that’ll be the end of it," you whisper loudly enough for only Undyne to hear. " But if you let me go back to teaching, there will always be kids playing hooky. You'll be setting these kids on the right path...with your discipline, of course."

That was all it took. Undyne immediately loosens the hold on your arms.

"F-fine! Whatever! Smoking violations are dumb and boring anyway! I have better things to be arresting people for!" she cracks her knuckles and bares her sharp teeth. 

You make a silent prayer for Kris and Susie. _ Please forgive me. _

"Oh, by the way, Officer. Where do you get your groceries around here?"

"Groceries? Huh, honestly I just always made the trip to the next town over. We just got a new one a few months ago but the guy who runs it is a real slacker."

You nod absentmindedly as she gives you directions. Undyne curtly bids you farewell and starts sprinting towards the school. I sure hope she realizes it’s Saturday today.

You feel a little guilty as you walk past a gaggle of kids headed towards the park. Siccing Undyne on Kris and Susie just to get her off your back was definitely objectionable but you know from first-hand experience that the pair were too smart to be caught.  _ Besides. I really want to go back to that storage room soon. _ Maybe Undyne will scare them away for a little while. Your mind wanders as you plot a way into getting the keys to the school when you arrive at a familiar part of town.

 

* * *

 

 

_ I'm here again.  _ Nothing good ever happens near the old Grillby's. You shudder thinking about your last encounter with Sans. You eye the intersection names.  _ This can’t be right. Undyne says the store is right here. _ You peer around the Grillby's.  _ This is it? _

You make your way up the steps when you hear crying. Not just any crying. It was the sound of a  _ baby _ . You walk back down the steps straining your ear in the direction of the sobs.  _ I hope no one's hurt.  _ Your legs brush up against something. The crying grows louder. You look down to see the source of the noise attached to your leg.

A little skeleton baby. You turn to your left and right searching frantically for someone to help you out. _ Really! Who loses a baby! _ Kids were one thing but babies were a mystery to you all together. You anxiously bend down to make eye contact with the tearful child. 

"Hey little guy. Where's your mommy?"

He shakes his skull.

"Then, Daddy?"

He shakes his head again.

"Geez. What am I going to do with you."

You delicately lift him into your arms. He stops sniffling and cackles with glee as he tugs on the ends of your hair. 

"Uhh okay. Let's see if Officer Undyne can help you find your parents, Baby."

You start to head back up the street towards the station when a foreboding chill runs down your spine.

"oh there you are, pappy. looks like you made a friend."

_ Pappy?! Short for Papyrus?! No way!  _ You spin around to see Sans grinning at your wide eyed expression. 

"Is he...is he yours?" 

Sans makes no move to relieve you of your burden.

"yeah. that's my lil bro, papyrus. isn't he the coolest?"

Papyrus bubbles joyously in your arms as he sees his brother beaming in front of him.   
  
  


* * *

  
  


Sans had his nose buried deep in an old copy of  _ Physics and Gimmicks _ when Gaster left for the castle that morning. He peered over the book to make sure he was long gone before scrambling off the couch. Gaster was hiding something from him. In this very house no less. Sans closed the blinds for extra measure. Today he was going to find out what.

Sans was still quite young but was miles more advanced than his adult peers in the Royal Academy. He worked hard to refute the accusations of nepotism but was seldom taken seriously due to his age. If he could figure out what secret project Gaster was working on maybe he would be allowed to participate in research that didn’t just involve observing snails.

Pulling on an oversize lab coat he snuck around back to the old shed behind the main house. Gaster never told him about the basement level of the workshop but Sans had long been aware of the password locked panel behind the heap of old equipment stored there. He had spent many nights teaching himself the strange language Gaster used to encode all of his research and security materials. Thanks to a convenient interest in cryptography he believed he finally found the right combination to the door.   


Sans tread through the dust carefully and reached the wall behind a mound of tarp. He pulled out a thin wire from his sleeves and clumsily inserted it into a slot within the outline of a panel door. It slid open easily to reveal a touch screen that blinked to indicate a password entry. Sans had memorized the key quite easily. It was the date Sans was initiated into the Academy under Gaster. Who knew he was the sentimental type? With a satisfying click the basement door opened to reveal an elevator. Sans stepped in and rode it down to the only level available.    
  
The excitement in his chest made him pace back and forth until the journey ended in a cumbersome jolt. Practically jumping out with anticipation, Sans’ suddenly found himself submerged in the blue and green glow of Gaster’s secret laboratory.

Sans shuffled down the eerie workroom observing a myriad of equipment he had never seen before. He pressed his forehead against a tank filled to the brim with red liquid and a mass of flesh that looked almost alive. It pulsated with enthusiasm. It was humming. The longer Sans was down here the more unsettled he grew to feel. Something clattered across the floor a short distance away. Sans peeked fearfully down the hall of darkened doors to see a faint light emanating from the last room. Sans didn’t come this far to get creeped out. He needed to find out what Gaster was hiding.

His hands trembled a little by the time he reached the end. The door was slightly ajar and the anxiety had pooled up unbearably at the bottom of his ribcage. He reached up to grab the door handle and made his way in.

Sans wasn’t sure what he was looking at. This was a bedroom. A kid's bedroom? It was sparse but the crude drawings taped to the walls along with the few toys scattered about indicated that this was where a child lived. It was almost like his.

He looked around in confusion when a head popped out from under the bed. If Sans had skin he’d have promptly jumped out of it.

"Hello. Are you Uncle Gaster's friend too?"

Sans gaped at the monster child who had just crawled out and stood sheepishly in front of him. She was wrapped in bandages from neck to toe and had a purple striped sweater worn over them like a dress. Sans didn’t know know what to think. She had called Gaster "Uncle" but she didn’t look like a relative at all. Was this his big secret? He couldn’t help but feel disappointed. While he was deep in thought the girl approached him to stare. 

"Ummm. I'm Y/N. What's your name?"

Sans hesitated before apprehensively mumbling, "it’s uh sans."

Y/N smiled wide revealing a missing front tooth and grabbed his little hands in hers.

"Hello, Sans! I wish I could play with you but Uncle Gaster says I'm sick so I can’t leave this room…"

She released her his hands and covered her mouth with her sleeves as if remembering her condition.

"sick? you mean like the monster flu?"

She shook her head vigorously.

"then what?"

"Mmmmm. I don't know," she glanced around and leaned in to whisper, "Something is sick in here. You gotta promise not to tell anyone, okay?"

Vibrant violet light engulfed the room as a small heart-shaped soul materialized in front of her. Sans had never seen anything like it before. He’d never met a monster capable of producing a soul that rippled and glowed like this one. Was there truly something wrong with this kid's soul? 

"Quite astonishing, isn't it?"

Sans froze at the voice behind him.

"Uncle Gaster! You're back early!"

Gaster leered down at a sweating Sans and gave him a chilling grin. 

"No. I have returned at precisely the right time."

  
  


* * *

  
  


You approach Sans shakily with the infant Papyrus still in your arms. 

"You should probably take him back now. I'm not very good with babies, I think."

Sans finally takes the hint and envelopes Papyrus in a gentle blue light. He levitates out of your hands and back into Sans's. Papyrus whines a little.

"hey it looks like he might like you."

You feel a little conflicted. You had secretly been looking forward to meeting Papyrus as you knew him in this world. No matter where you went he at least was a constant joy to be around. The bittersweet reminiscing shatters as the image of Stretch floats across your thoughts. 

"He seems like a good kid," you respond wistfully. 

Sans's expression remains unchanged as he silently studies your face. You don’t notice him approach as you zone out. 

"i'm gonna take pappy back home. can you wait here for a sec? i wanna ask you somethin’."

"Wait, what?"

He's gone. He teleported away before you could give him an answer. You briefly contemplate on ditching him but he reappears just as quickly as he had left.

"sorry about the big  _ wait _ . you sure you ain’t a powerlifter?"

You give him an insincere and bitter smile.

"anyway, I'm impressed, kid."

“With?”

"i’ve never see pappy warm up to someone so fast," his pinprick eyes glint menacingly, "it was almost like he recognized you from somewhere before." 

Your heart nearly flatlines.  _ Oh no. Did he figure me out? How much does he know?  _  You stay silent biting your lip.

Sans continues in his casual manner, "that'd be impossible of course. we've never seen you before in our lives."

_ Safe! _

"which is why I'm gonna ask you, a total stranger, for a favor. can I see your phone for a sec?"

You side-eye him as you hesitantly hand over your phone. He prompts open a new entry and adds a number into your address book.

_Huh?_ _Did he just give me his number?_ You could feel your face growing warm as you try to stay cool.

"if you ever see pappy outside on his own again, can you call this number?"

"Uh yeah, of course."

"and…" Sans holds out your phone. "if you happen to see anything weird ‘round here, feel free to call me."    
  
Your mind is vacant as you reach to receive it, barely brushing against his phalanges. The brief contact was enough to set your skin on fire and your heart ablaze. You grimace and cover your mouth thoroughly embarrassed with yourself.  _ What am I doing?  _ You unconsciously press a hand over your heart as if to stifle the sound of it beating.

He let's go of the phone.

Sans's face is hard to read as he asks you nonchalantly, "hey, you doing okay there, kid?"

"I don’t know," you whisper quietly. Your head feels light with deja vu. You quickly compose yourself upon seeing Sans watching you intently.    
  
"Oh I meant to say, ‘I’m fine’. Maybe I'm getting a little sick," you flash him what you hope is a convincing grin.

"It's probably just the flu."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Might as well plug this here but I also have an art blog here: https://tinyurl.com/y5agahd2
> 
> I take requests sometimes so hmu and check in. Thanks!


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